AROOOOOO! A Mega Houndoom Analysis

I’ve made a lot of mediocre analyses in the past, and I’m done with those. Houndoom is one of the more underutilized Mega Pokemon in UU, and I don’t like that, he’s the star player of my team. I don’t know how to carry this onto the actual analysis so I’m just going to start showing off Houndoom's sets:

Angry Thoughts

Houndoom @ Houndoominite

Flash Fire to Solar Power

Timid Nature 4 HP / 252 S.ATK / 252 SPE

Nasty Plot

Dark Pulse

Fire Blast / Flamethrower

Sludge Bomb / HP Grass

This is Houndoom’s best set, in my opinion, and by far his bread and butter set. Houndoom’s pre-mega Flash Fire ability allows it free switches on the many powerful Fire types in the tier, especially the vicious Victini. His typing is another boon, creating opportunities to set up when switching in on things it threatens, like Forretress, Mew, and Roserade. When they have to switch out because they’re scared, just Nasty Plot and attempt to sweep at +2 Special Attack.

His attacks are very simple: Dark Pulse is STAB and amazing coverage, Fire Blast is another STAB and and another good attacking type (or Flamethower for more PP/accuracy) and the fourth move can either be Sludge Bomb for hitting Florges, or Hidden Power Grass for trying to hit water types not named Slowbro, like Swampert.

Some calculations about Houndoom’s power at +2, on assorted Pokemon in the tier:

With the exception of Crobat, Mega-Houndoom also outspeeds all of these Pokemon with its 115 Base Speed, outspeeding almost everything in the tier that is not Scarfed.

Mixing it up

M-Houndoom is not the most expected Pokemon to go mixed due to an only okay base 90 physical Attack. However, Houndoom gets Sucker Punch, which should be enough, riight?

Houndoom @ Houndoominite

Flash Fire to Solar Power

Hasty Nature

4 ATK / 252 S.ATK / 252 SPE

Sucker Punch

Dark Pulse

Fire Blast

Sludge Bomb / HP Grass

This set is nearly the same as the previous one, except it exchanges set-up-sweeping for Sucker Punch. This makes it much less of a sweeper without the great power boost Nasty Plot gives you, but Sucker Punch.

To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend using this set. Sucker Punch gives you no extra coverage and doesn’t really allow you to hit anything you wouldn’t - Alakazam, Aerodactyl, and the major Scarfers of the tier are the only things faster than Houndoom that can threaten it, and the best you can do to them is bring Alakazam to its Sash before any of those deal serious or knockout damage to Houndoom. However it does allow Houndoom to deal damage to them before going down in a blaze of glory, which could be useful depending on the situation. Here are the calc’s for hitting Sashakazam, M-Aero, and the four biggest scarfers in the tier: Hydreigon, Infernape, Darmanitan and Flygon.

I’m gonna be honest, it's not usually worth it to use Mixed Mega Houndoom. Sucker Punch is just not worth it as the only things that it would need to use priority will take barely any damage and will virtually destroy you in return. It's biggest uses are hitting the two Pokemon that speed tie M-Houndoom, which are Azelf and Starmie. It still won't OHKO them.

Sun-Doom

I was sorely disappointed in Mega-Houndoom’s ability. I think Intimidate would have been much better on it than Mega-Manectric, and even a mediocre ability like Quick Feet would be more useful than Solar Power. But assuming you are running a sun team and can’t use Charizard as your mega of choice, use Houndoom.

Houndoom @ Houndoominite

Flash Fire to Solar Power

Timid Nature

4 HP / 252 S.ATK / 252 SPE

Fire Blast

Dark Pulse

Solar Beam

Sludge Bomb / Nasty Plot / Sunny Day

The only thing that makes this different from regular M-Houndoom is Solar Beam. Glorious 120+ base power Grass type coverage. This is ludicrously helpful to hit some of the many bulky Water types that usually are like ‘nah Houndoom we’re gonna threaten you with our water type moves’, such as Mega-Blastoise, Suicune, and Milotic. With Sun Support and Solar Beam, even without Nasty Plot boosts Houndoom can really, really hurt them.

However, yeah. It’s not worth using the Sun to solely power up Mega Houndoom, and it’s not worth using Mega Houndoom in sun because why wouldn’t you use Char Y. Also Sun teams aren’t that good anymore.

Checks and Counters

I mentioned this somewhat in the Sucker Punch set, but Houndoom’s biggest threats are things that are faster than it.

There are only three commonly used UU Pokemon that naturally outspeed it - Alakazam, Aerodactyl, and Crobat, but of course there are also many powerful scarfers in UU. All of them (with the exception of Hydreigon) carry super effective moves and can give Houndoom a really bad time. However, only Hydreigon can actually switch into a +2 Mega Houdoom, and it still can take up to 75% from a Fire Blast. This makes Mega Houndoom incredibly weak to revenge killers, but otherwise has very few real counters.

I don’t want to waste all the space running calcs, but Flygon, Darmanitan, and Krookodile can all OHKO with E-Quake, Infernape can Close Combat OHKO, Alakazam gets Focus Blast, and M-Aerodactyl can Stone Edge OHKO. Hydreigon is the only one that cannot OHKO, only doing a max of 90% with Draco Meteor, but of course as it will be scarfed it will just outspeed and kill next turn.

Several water types can also similarly ‘revenge’ like Alakazam, that Houndoom can easily 2HKO but can hit it for lethal in return. Mega Blastoise is just about the only notable example, being able to OHKO with either Water Pulse or Aura Sphere.

Oh, also Stealth Rocks. They suck.

Teamm8s

Forretress is one of my favorite partners for Houndoom, because Forretress can provide useful Stealth Rock, and even more useful Rapid Spin to help Houndoom sweep, and Houndoom in return has the Flash Fire before going Mega, being able to turn Forretress’s 4x Weakness into a power boost for Fire Blast. This is a good way to pressure the opponent with more power and allow Houndoom to suddenly sweep with, like a flash fire.

Starmie or Slowbro are both other good partners for M-Houndoom because of their typings, as they can take Fighting and Water type attacks for Houndoom and Houndoom can block Grass, Ghost, and Dark threats. Starmie is useful for a good dual offensive, with two powerful special attackers to put on the pressure when you want to go offensive, and it also carries Rapid Spin because seriously stealth rocks suck.

Slowbro is a good defensive partner, able to absorb most of the scarfers that threaten Houndoom. It also often carries Thunder Wave to slow down those threats to Houndoom, keeping it faster than the rest. Amoonguss is a good third when you’re using Slowbro, as it creates a Regerator Core and a F/W/G Core.

Like I said with Slowbro, speed control is one of the best things you can give to Houndoom as just about everything that can kill can because they’re faster. As such Sticky Web, and by extent Galvantula, is useful for stopping Alakazammers and scarfers that don’t levitate by slowing them so that Houndoom can hit first. Other Pokemon that can use Thunder Wave tactically, such as certain Blissey builds, are also great partners for being able to stop Scarfers.

Conclusion

Srsly gamefreak why did you love manectric so much more

Mega Houndoom is a very strong sweeper in the UU metagame and is definitely something that needs an answer on the majority of teams. However, his biggest counters are some of the most common Pokemon that you’ll find in UU, thus making it harder for Houndoom to do its job compared to other sweepers in the meta. Additionally Houndoom has just about one moveset that is effective, and is thus unfortunately predictable. Also Houndoom has a pretty useless ability. Houndoom will continue to be an underused Pokemon in UU, but is still a very strong Pokemon and needs much less support than many of the more niche picks in the tier.

EDIT: Slashed in Sunny Day in the Sun Hound set, should have already. Thanks for /u/LinguisticallyInept for mentioning it.

I feel like substitute is more useful than Sludge bomb on the first set, STAB Fire Blast hits at least as hard, harder if Sludge Bomb is neutral or you have a Flash Fire boost, even against Florges. Similarly HP grass is only really useful for Swampert because otherwise Dark Pulse is equally as powerful, accounting for STAB.

Aside from that, really nice write up. I think Megadoom is underused because its much more niche than mega aggron, aerodactyl or blastoise, who can all function pretty well with some variation. Megadoom also faces stiff competition from Victini, Chandelure, Darmanitan, Entei and Infernape as offensive fire types and its competition can hold an item.

You think going Sub-Plot is more useful? I've tried it a few times but usually I've had more luck just going Nasty Plot +3 attacks. Houndoom can't hold leftovers to recover some of that substitute HP, and that's a bit worrying to me, especially with the Stealth Rock weakness. I agree about Sludge Bomb though, it's mostly filler. Scares away some Florges though, which is useful.

I agree about the second part, though. People are just skeptical about using him because he doesn't offer very much utility compared to the other UU Megas, and there are just too many fire types in UU. I don't think it's banworthy but I would like it if Infernape got the axe to BL, it's personally the thing I'm scared of the most with Houndoom.

I think theres quite a bit that could be in tat last slot. Flame charge is an option so you can boost speed. Sucker punch gives you priority, to threaten super frail revenge killers(aalakazam without focus blast). I like substitute because it blocks status. A paralysed houndoom isnt doing too much. It works especially well if you can predict status from blissey. Because at +4 you 2hko.

I'll happily slash it into the Sun Hound set, I should have already since there aren't any good sun setters in UU, but I'm pretty sure Nasty Plot gives you more raw power if it's one over the other. Sun Megadoom's only real bonus over regular Megadoom is Solar Beam.

So neither one is 100% better than the other. I'd personally keep with Nasty Plot because it doesn't hurt you and the only major water type to worry about in UU is Mega-Blastoise, but they're both viable options.

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